The themed concert was held at the Walk of Fame Park after a tasting of higher profile chefs like Urban Cowboy’s Tom Bayless’ tomato sandwich with a decadent sesame bun, heirloom tomatoes and a charcoal mayonnaise. Meanwhile, Titos was serving a jalapeno-garnished margarita and Zac Brown’s Z. Alexander Wine was poured.

Sunday was capped again with a gospel brunch, now for the third year with its centerpiece, Nashville gospel goddess Gale Mayes. With a seven-person backing choir, Mayes inspired the crowd, dispersing handkerchiefs and performed a cover of Eric Clapton’s “Change The World.” Flavor highlights included Brandon Frohne’s (Holler & Dash) chorizo biscuit & gravy, Laurence Faber’s (Blackberry Farm) preserved peaches and cream, and the donut shop serving banana pudding and blackberry donuts and donut holes from a variety of chefs, Lauren Anderson, Lisa Donovan, Caitlyn Jarvis, Davis Reese and Danielle Veit.

During the three-day festival DJs again spun background beats while flavors soared. Additional festivities continued at the festival’s second site on Bicentennial Mall with Don Julio tequila hosting a mariachi band before their antique pickup truck. This was opposite the tent from Ilegal Mezcal’s ice sculpture, designed for taking shots through the slide. Little Big Town’s Four Cellars wine was also served alongside Zac Brown’s. Stand-out treats included Fin & Pearl’s smoked salmon deviled egg, which was tinted pink from a beet pickling process. Always superior Lockeland Table (Hal M. Holden-Bache) served its Korean beef taco in a nacho form. Mangia’s Nick Pellegrino delivered a beef short rib meatball, and Jeff Ruby Steakhouse offered, among other things, a peaches infused crisp with Jack Daniels creame.

Supermodel Lily Aldridge, who is married to Kings of Leon lead singer Caleb Followill, made an appearance this year, judging the Friday Night Throwdown competition, hosted by Jessie James Decker.

Album Releases

September 13Brett Young/The Acoustic Sessions [EP]/BMLG RecordsThe Lumineers
/III/DualtoneVarious/Country Music – A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) [2CD, 2LP and digital configurations]/LegacyGeorge Strait/Strait Out of the Box: Part 1 [Walmart re-issue]/MCA Records NashvilleHailey Whitters/The Days